Earth Talk

From the editors of E/The Environmental Magazine

Dear “Earth Talk”: What’s better
for the environment, a fake or real Christmas tree? — R.M. Brandt, Nutley, N.J. Although there is no crystal-clear answer to the
age-old “real vs. fake” Christmas-tree debate, most
environmentalists, “tree-huggers” among them, would agree that
real trees are the better choice, at least from a personal and
public-health standpoint. Some might make a case for fake trees because
they are reused every year and therefore don’t generate the waste of
their real counterparts, but fake trees are made with polyvinyl chloride
(otherwise known as vinyl), one of the most environmentally offensive forms
of nonrenewable, petroleum-derived plastic. Furthermore, several known carcinogens, including
dioxin, ethylene dichloride, and vinyl chloride, are generated during the
production of PVC, polluting neighborhoods located near factory sites. Most
of those factory sites are actually in China, where 85 percent of the fake
trees sold in North America originate. Labor standards there don’t
adequately protect workers from the dangerous chemicals they are handling. In addition to PVC, fake trees contain lead and other
additives designed to make the otherwise rigid PVC more malleable.
Unfortunately, many of these additives have been linked to liver, kidney,
neurological, and reproductive-system damage in lab studies on animals. The
Children’s Health Environmental Coalition warns that fake trees
“may shed lead-laced dust, which may cover branches or shower gifts
and the floor below the tree.” So heed the advice of the label on
your fake tree telling you to avoid inhaling or eating any dust or parts
that may come loose. The primary downside of real Christmas trees is that,
because they are farmed as agricultural products, they often require
repeated application of pesticides over their typical eight-year life
cycles. Therefore, while they are growing — and then again once they
are discarded — they may contribute to pollution of local watersheds.
Beyond the runoff issue, the sheer numbers of trees that are discarded
after every holiday can be a big waste issue for municipalities that
aren’t prepared to mulch them for compost. The most eco-friendly way to enjoy a Christmas tree
is to buy a live tree with its roots intact from a local grower and then
replant it in your yard once the holiday has passed. However, because trees
are dormant in the winter, live trees should spend no more than a week
indoors, lest they “wake up” and begin to grow again in the
warmth of your home. If this happens, there is a good chance that the tree
will not survive once it is returned to the cold winter outdoors and
replanted.
For more information: Children’s
Health Environmental Coalition,www.checnet.org; About.com’s “How to Care for a
Live Christmas Tree,” forestry.about.com/od/christmastrees1/
ht/living_x_tree.htm. Send questions to “Earth Talk” in care of
E/The Environmental Magazine, P.O. Box 5098, Westport, CT 06881; or e-mail
earthtalk@emagazine.com.